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The sport of archery has gained popularity in the Liverpool Central School District over the last few years. An integral part of the physical education curriculum, students across the district have continued to participate in this life-long sport long after the unit is completed.

Liverpool Middle was the first school to form a team that would participate in National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) competitions. The number of students and schools steadily grew, with all four middle schools and Liverpool High School participating this year.

Now 29 Liverpool CSD middle school and high school students will compete at the New York State Bullseye Tournament on March 14 in the Micron Center of Progress Building at the New York State Fairgrounds.

State tournament individual qualifiers include: LHS senior Chance Titus, LHS junior Allison Armstrong, LHS junior Ava Eicholzer, LHS freshman Landon Marsh, LHS senior Aidan Christopher, LMS eighth grader Cameron Coon, LMS eighth grader Charlotte Hanavan, LMS eighth grader Boston Brawley, LMS eighth grader Olivia Reed, LMS seventh grader Kaitlyn Kelley, LMS eighth grader Rafe Parry, LMS eighth grader Kiril Kuzma, Soule Road Middle seventh grader Evan Woodburn and Morgan Road Middle eighth grader Vincent Fasulo.

In addition, Chestnut Hill Middle qualified as a team for the NYS Bullseye Tournament. Team members include eighth grader Angelo Sabatino, eighth grader Rayna Chen, eighth grader Jocelyn Hewitt, eighth grader Audrey Scharoun, eighth grader Amir Samadari, seventh grader Ilhana Music, seventh grader Braydon Sacadura, seventh grader Hannah Hurlburt, seventh grader Karmella Chamblee, eighth grader Justin Williams, eighth grader Leah Brown, eighth grader Elijah Bailey, seventh grader Gianna Roy, eighth grader Amanda Mai and eighth grader Ian Sprague.

The road to the state tournament wasn’t easy for these students, as NASP made changes to how students could qualify. This year, all competing schools had to attend a Regional Competition. With the closest regional competitions more than three hours away from Â̾ÞÈËÊÓƵ it looked like participation in this year’s state tournament might not happen.

That’s when Â̾ÞÈËÊÓƵ physical education teachers Matt Dolph and Emily Flohr decided they were going to organize a Regional Competition right at Â̾ÞÈËÊÓƵ. The pair coordinated with the NYS Department of Conservation to plan the event and get all of the necessary equipment and personnel to make the event a success.

On January 18, 86 students from Â̾ÞÈËÊÓƵ, LMS, MRM, SRM, LHS and the Bloomfield Central School District gathered in the Â̾ÞÈËÊÓƵ gymnasium for a day of competition.

Dolph and Flohr said it wouldn’t have been possible to get the event off the ground without the help of numerous volunteers across the district – including MRM physical education teacher Bob Figger – SRM physical education teacher Katie Henson, Liverpool High School physical education teacher Marissa Anderson, LMS physical education teacher Jon Henty, LMS physical education teacher Jake Rogalia, LHS physical education teacher Kim Allwes, LHS physical education teacher Amy Broton, Â̾ÞÈËÊÓƵ sixth grade teacher Kasi Cabrey, LMS technology teacher Ray Finney and LCSD substitute physical education teacher Spencer Reudiger.

The hope is to host a regional again next year, as well as assist other area schools interested in hosting their own.